NYU.edu requires JavaScript be enabled in your browser in order to use important features of the site. JavaScript is either disabled or not supported by your browser. For instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser, click here.

Bread Crumbs

Sub Navigation

Courses - Spring 2015

Please note that all course offerings are subject to change. Changes in faculty availability and student enrollment can occasionally result in course cancellations.

Click on a course name to see a course description and a sample syllabus from a past semester. (Current syllabi may differ.) For sample syllabi or academic questions, please email global.academics@nyu.edu.

A list of all courses offered at the Global Academic Centers, organized by department, can be found here.

Spring 2015 courses with days and times will be available in Albert, NYU's Student Information System the week of October 13, 2014. Directions on how to view Study Away courses in Albert, and other Registration FAQs can be found here.

Required Course for All Students

The purpose of this class is primarily to discuss the history and culture of the Czech Republic and Central Europe—the intersection of many international influences--in the context of globalization and, conversely, to discuss globalization in the local context. An important dimension of the class will be a discussion about how international students should use their experience abroad (in this case Prague and, more generally, Central Europe) to better understand complicated developments on the global level and back at home.

Language Courses

Students work on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary enrichment. Emphasis is placed on developing and enhancing listening, comprehension and oral skills. Additional hours are offered to improve pronunciation. Written and oral examinations required.

Intended to give beginners a speaking and reading knowledge of the Russian language. Involves an introduction to the essentials of Russian grammar and the reading of graded texts, with special emphasis on the acquisition of an idiomatic conversational vocabulary. Combines the traditional grammar approach with conversational, inductive method.

The course combines the traditional grammatical approach with a communicational, interactive method. Since the size of the claass is usually small we can put great emphasis on improving speaking in Russian on various subjects. Students will be given short topics to talk about at the beginning of every lesson and most written essays will have to be presented orally in class.

Anthropology

The course will introduce students to the development of Romany politics and culture from a persecuted minority through to the emergence of Romany organizations with an emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe. The aim is to challenge any essentializing view on Roma as either a people outside or/and without society or as perennial victims of oppression. Two main approaches have dominated the teaching of Romany issues: a culturalist/ethnic approach, which stresses Romany cultures, and an economistic approach, which stresses ´poverty.´ This course will challenge mono-causal and a-historic explanations for the social situation of Roma and will stimulate students to think about Roma in a critical holistic way that brings into consideration the societies they live in. Building on a diverse selection of empirical material, ranging from ethnographic, historical and sociological case studies to artistic representations of Roma, the course will present the Roma “as good to think” for our comprehension of current social issues. The course is divided into three interconnected thematic blocks – 1. Identity, community and culture, 2. Power, the State and social stratification, 3. History, memory and politics of representation – which will allow to cover much of the current debates on the plight of European Roma as well as a grasp of social theories on marginality.

Art and Art Professions

This course is a hands-on introduction to the use of photography as a medium of documentation and expression. Assignments and critiques enhance the development of independent individual work while developing photographic skills and techniques. Students provide their own cameras.

Art History

The course covers the history of architecture from Mediaeval to contemporary with special attention to 19th and 20th Century architecture and urbanism as well as the visual arts. The course begins with the pre-Romanesque and Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism periods. The major focus will be on 19th and 20th Century architectural styles from Historicism and Art Nouveau through Cubism, Art-Déco, Avant-garde Functionalism, post-war Stalinist art and architecture, and the contemporary. It's necessary to have an understanding of the evolution of Mid European art and architecture, town planning and theory.

This course presents a survey of art and architecture in Prague and its environs - from the Middle Ages to the present - placed within the context of the main periods and movements of Western art history. The course will be rooted in a discussion of the city of Prague, and students are encouraged through excursions and assignments to become acquainted with the city's architecture, monuments and urban design. Students will learn to analyse formal aspects of art and architectural styles (from Romanesque to modern) and will also be encouraged to investigate their sources and theoretical foundations. Emphasis will be given to the historical and cultural context of art styles and movements. We will also look at art patronage in some key periods of Czech history to see how this reflects political, cultural and ideological change. Classroom lectures will be combined with regular excursions to examine works of art and architecture at first hand. These will include architectural walking tours and visits to temporary exhibitions as well as the city's major art galleries.

Business

Evaluates, from the management point of view, marketing as a system for the satisfaction of human wants and as a catalyst of business activity. Deals with the subject at all levels from producer to consumer and emphasizes the planning required for the efficient use of marketing tools in the development and expansion of markets. Concentrates on the principles, functions, and tools of marketing, including quantitative methods. Utilizes cases and projects to develop a problem-solving ability in dealing with specific areas.

In this course, students learn how to increase their communication effectiveness for business and professional goals. During the semester, students focus on the strategic implications of communication for modern organizations. A variety of assignments are given to stress the following communication competencies: written, spoken and nonverbal communication basics for business; effective team communication strategies; informative, persuasive and collaborative presentations; communication techniques for required junior and senior year projects. Students regularly receive personal feedback about their writing and their oral presentations from instructors and staff.

NYU Stern students may take this course as a third Stern course at NYU Prague.

NYU College of Arts and Sciences Economics Department Students: Please note this course CANNOT be taken for major or minor credit.

The subject of the course is to describe one of the most profound changes to take place in the history of the world economy - the rapid change from centrally planned economies to market economies throughout what used to be known as "the Soviet block". Although some reforms in some countries began much earlier, the true transition began in most Central and Eastern European countries roughly in 1990. This means that scholars and researchers are only now beginning to have the data and a sufficient distance needed to study and analyze the transition process.

College Core Curriculum

Russia’s rich and multifaced cultural identity has been shaped in a thousand year long process of interaction with a range of diverse cultural formations of the ‘West’ and ‘East’ (including Byzantine/ Christian ‘East’, Central Asian/Muslim ‘East’, South Asian/Indian ‘East”, and East Asian/Confucian ‘East’). For the last 300 years, since the era of Peter the Great, Russia’s greatest statesmen, philosphers, religious thinkers, writers, poets and creative artists were obssesed with the question of Russia’s distinctive cultural identity. This passionate search for the ‘Russian soul’ is apparently far from over, as the recent rise of interest in the ideas of ‘Eurasianism’ and ‘Neo-Slavophilism’ testifies. This course in Russian intellectual history explores the sources of Russia’s unique cultural blend through examination of some of the principal textual and artistic images representative of traditions that emerged at the geographic and cultural crossroads of Eastern Europe, including those which constitute Russia’s unique contribution to world culture. Students are encouraged to think critically and with a historically informed sensibility about the diverse perceptions of reality in cultures different from their own, especially about such fundamental categories as national identity, religion, morality, community, individual, gender, and the "other."

Prague is without doubts one of the most important historical, geopolitical and cultural capitals of Central Europe. The concept of Central Europe is somewhat elusive and it is difficult to define it by geographical or political categories. Often, it is characterized simply as a space on the edge between the West and East. However, most scholars agree that there is a distinct Central European culture. Identified as having been one of the world’s richest sources of creative talent and thought between the 17th and 20th centuries, Central Europe was represented by many distinguished figures such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Kant, Goethe and Hegel; later followed by Kafka, Rilke, Freud, Mendel and Dvorak, to mention at least some. Central European culture is based on historical, social and cultural characteristics shared by the countries of this geopolitical entity. It is a result of complicated historical, political, ethnic, cultural, artistic and religious interactions throughout more then thousand years of its history. We explore characteristics of Central Europe primarily from the perspective of Prague and its cultural history, which is so typical and almost archetypal for this region. Students study geopolitical characteristics and various phenomena that co-create the idea of Central Europe. Taking advantage of course location in Prague, students have the opportunity to examine the primary sources and artifacts (literature, music, art, film) in their contexts and environment.

Comparative Literature

"A book must be an ax for the frozen sea in us," wrote Franz Kafka (1883-1924), one of the best known but least understood authors of our times. In this course, we will break some of the clichés which are stuck to Kafka's life and work and dive into the fascinating, intricate and profoundly humorous world of his thoughts and emotions. In Prague, the city that determined and held Kafka in its "claws", we will trace the possible sources of the writer's private obsessions which became the general characteristics of modern men: The sense of isolation, the anxiety, the self-irony, the sense of responsibility and guilt, the quest for freedom, the struggle of an individual against the system. We will read selected works of Kafka, but also Meyrink - the author of Prague ghetto - and Milan Kundera. This course aims to bring the students to a point from which they can find their own genuine and intimate understanding of Kafka's writing.

Economics

Ownership and Corporate Control in Advanced and Transition Economies is now offered through the Stern School of Business's Economics Department. This course is listed under Business above. Please note this course CANNOT be taken for major or minor credit by students in NYU's College of Arts and Sciences Economics Department.

European & Mediterranean Studies

This course will try to put European security into the context of today’s world: from the collapse of communism and dissolution of the Warsaw Pact through the years of wars in the former Yugoslavia, the wars on former Soviet territory, and to the stateless threat of terrorism today. But study limited to Europe would be pointless; the Old Continent is no longer the prime player on the planet. Therefore a series of related topics and areas will also be discussed: U.S. military might (especially compared to the European armed forces); the situation in adjacent regions (North Africa, Middle East, Russia and Ukraine) and its implication for Europe; and the new types of terrorism.

The overriding goal of this course is to reach an understanding of the key strategic issues facing Europe today and how they impact on the political economy of the region. We will track how Europe has reached the present critical juncture in its history and consider where it is headed, including the options available to European policy-makers amid the on-going crisis in the Eurozone. To this end, we will examine the key events of the 19th and 20th centuries that led to the foundation of the EU and have shaped contemporary Europe. At the same time, we will consider Europe’s relations with the US as today’s sole superpower, the challenges posed by the resurgence of China and Russia and Europe’s role as a major player in the resource-rich Eurasian continent, where a new round of great power competition is unfolding.

The course draws largely on political economy but also on history, international relations and geopolitics. It aims to raise questions and stimulate discussion rather than provide clear-cut answers.

Totalitarian ideologies which were used in European political discourse in the twentieth century to explain major historical changes have changed forever the relationship between the state and its citizens. The aspiration of the totalitarian state to acquire total control over individual lives through control of education, employment and health systems succeeded beyond anything perceived possible until then in any political regime after European Enlightenment. Nazism and Communism mobilized irrationally motivated mass support and won power in a very short time. Their success was partially based on a mass propaganda, using fear as primary instinctive argument against a picture of both external and internal enemies. The major focus of the course will be oriented towards topics trying to explain the reasons for mass support for totalitarian ideologies and states on the basis of individual psychology. We will examine psychological explanations of a selfvictimisation, role of a victim and a perpetrator, majority society response to mass human rights abuses and the abusive past. On this background a phenomenon of a political and cultural dissent will be introduced and discussed. The role of electronic mass media, antiglobalisation movements and global terrorism are discussed as possible modern vehicles of totalitarian tendencies and reactions against them.

This course will concentrate on the analysis of the pursuits of democracy in Western Europe. Firstly, the conception of Europe will be explored in its historical perspective and different perceptions: territorial, political, spiritual, cultural etc. Secondly, the characterizing social cleavages of Europe will be introduced: territorial, economic, religious, national, ethnic etc. Furthermore, we will discuss how these cleavages get expressed in the formation of different social interests and lead to the organization of interests groups, political parties and NGOs. Thirdly, turning towards the institutional structures of West European parliamentary democracies, we will address the existence of political party systems, as well as the executive and legislative powers represented by government and parliament. Fourthly, we will explore the rules and outcomes of different electoral systems, which ensure regular rotation of political elites at power – however, under different principles. Finally, we will assess the enrichment of the classical models of government in Western Europe, which have in the last 20 years been supplemented by additional players participating in the decision making processes on different levels (local, regional, national and European) – leading to new political conceptualization of ‘governance’. Also, while European states remain core units of European integration, they are also influenced by the EU, leading to their Europeanization. The new challenges facing Western Europe, such as globalization, continuing European integration, regionalization, restructuring of social welfare systems and the issues of identity, will be discussed.

This class is devoted not only to a "close reading" of the selected texts, but also to relevant broader issues. While the approach and methods are interdisciplinary, the main emphasis is on literary theory (explaining and applying basic literary terms), literary history (both American and European), and literary criticism (analyzing different responses to given works). Every class starts with the oral presentation delivered by a student, then there is a short lecture by the teacher, and a discussion follows.

Film and Television

Emphasizing one of the most influential film movements in the post-World War II era, the cinema of the Czech New Wave. This cinema studies course explores the history and development of Czech and Slovak cinema. Lectures are supplemented with screenings.

Gallatin School of Individualized Study

Civil resistance is not the same as opting out of society or having views that go against the grain. It is fundamentally about deciding not to conform with repressive regimes. It is also about choosing a mode of action that brings with it personal dangers even when, as is usual, it advocates non-violence. This course examines the nature and significance of civil resistance in Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th century. In studying resistance literature (including poetry and song), art and film, we will draw on ideas and arguments from the disciplines of history, political science, literature, art criticism, film studies and psychology.

This interdisciplinary seminar is designed to discuss and question the identity of specific nations in European space, which has always been a fascinating crossroad of ideas and ideologies as well as the birthplace of wars and totalitarian systems. The course will cover masterpieces of Russian, Hungarian, German, Polish and Czech cinematography, focusing on several crucial periods of history, in particular WWII and its aftermath, showing moral dilemmas of individuals and nations under the Nazi regime as well as revealing the bitter truth of the Stalinist years.

Totalitarian ideologies which were used in European political discourse in the twentieth century to explain major historical changes have changed forever the relationship between the state and its citizens. The aspiration of the totalitarian state to acquire total control over individual lives through control of education, employment and health systems succeeded beyond anything perceived possible until then in any political regime after European Enlightenment. Nazism and Communism mobilized irrationally motivated mass support and won power in a very short time. Their success was partially based on a mass propaganda, using fear as primary instinctive argument against a picture of both external and internal enemies. The major focus of the course will be oriented towards topics trying to explain the reasons for mass support for totalitarian ideologies and states on the basis of individual psychology. We will examine psychological explanations of a selfvictimisation, role of a victim and a perpetrator, majority society response to mass human rights abuses and the abusive past. On this background a phenomenon of a political and cultural dissent will be introduced and discussed. The role of electronic mass media, antiglobalisation movements and global terrorism are discussed as possible modern vehicles of totalitarian tendencies and reactions against them.

"A book must be an ax for the frozen sea in us," wrote Franz Kafka (1883-1924), one of the best known but least understood authors of our times. In this course, we will break some of the clichés which are stuck to Kafka's life and work and dive into the fascinating, intricate and profoundly humorous world of his thoughts and emotions. In Prague, the city that determined and held Kafka in its "claws", we will trace the possible sources of the writer's private obsessions which became the general characteristics of modern men: The sense of isolation, the anxiety, the self-irony, the sense of responsibility and guilt, the quest for freedom, the struggle of an individual against the system. We will read selected works of Kafka, but also Meyrink - the author of Prague ghetto - and Milan Kundera. This course aims to bring the students to a point from which they can find their own genuine and intimate understanding of Kafka's writing.

Hebrew and Judaic Studies

One hundred and fifty years ago all Jews had three things in common: every Jew prayed in Hebrew, he submitted to God‘s commandments and awaited the coming of the Messiah. Today, Jews have only one thing in common – every Jew asks what it means to be a Jew.“ These are words of David ben Gurion after the Second World War. The period of the 18th to the 20th centuries of modern Jewish history in Europe belongs to the most dynamic in the whole Jewish history. What are the reasons for such radical changes? Were there differences between the development in Western, Central and Eastern Europe?&; How did the changes affect Jewish religious, cultural, linguistic and national identity? These questions build the core of this course.

History

The process of urbanization in the modern era has reflected the economic differences, the social and aesthetic customs, and the political nuances of the European nations and of Europe as a whole. Students will consider numerous issues of city planning and growth. Topics will include patterns of cultural distinctiveness, the influence of ethnic and religious concerns, and the political implications apparent in architectural design, neighborhood development, housing policies, and public space.

In the 20th Century, three phenomena had fateful consequences for Central and Eastern Europe: (1) the unsuccessful attempt to eliminate, after WWI, national tension by creating new nation-states, and the encounters with both major totalitarian ideologies, (2) Nazism and (3) Communism. The present eruptions of nationalism are rooted in the heritage of these phenomena. Comparative histories of the formation of modern national identities, including the 'national awakening' of non-dominant nations, will be interpreted against the backdrop of national policies of multi-ethnic states, national programs and leaders. The major focus of the course will be oriented toward topics surrounding post-WWI Central and Eastern Europe, Nazism and Communism. We will examine the disintegration of post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe, discuss the ethnic conflicts, policies toward minorities and xenophobia. The bibliography of required and recommended reading will be handed out in class, the abbreviated titles are in the syllabus. The guidelines for mid-term and finals will be available in class two weeks before the scheduled exam.

Journalism and Mass Communication

Using the cultural life of Prague as its focus, this course aims to enable students to report on the diversity of cultural and artistic activity in the Czech capital in eight main areas—film, photography, literature, architecture, music, visual arts, travel, and Prague in literature. Several forms and techniques will be explored through lecture, discussion and assignments, including: news reports, interviews, reviews (film, literature, theater), feature stories, essays, and commentaries. During the course, students will learn not only about Prague's cultural landscape but they will be encouraged to examine it in various journalistic and literary forms. One of the leading aims of this courses is also to introduce to them six extraordinary persons, whose work in their respective areas reached international attention.

This course will focus on foreign reporting in US and British newspapers and journals, looking at the history of foreign reporting, the different kinds of media in which it appears, the topics it covers and the skills necessary to perform it. Students will read and discuss contemporary reporting and famous reportage from the past, listen to foreign correspondents and write their own stories. By the end of the course students should have a good understanding of foreign reporting and will be well equipped with some of the practical skills necessary to follow it as a career.

The idea of the course is to inform students about European media in general, and about transformation of the Czech media after the Velvet revolution in 1989 in particular. Czech developments will be presented on the background of a wider European perspective in order to make students acquainted with the basic features of European landscape of print and electronic media. Due to the lack of literature and printed sources in English language on the subject, the course will extensively exploit internet sources related to the topics.

Law and Society

This course will begin by reviewing the nature and sources of law. Yet it will do so not as part of a purely academic exercise but in order to answer some very practical philosophical questions, such as: Why isn't law the same thing as justice? Where does legality end and revolution begin? Why does the Anglo-American legal system make legal resolution into a game? Are war crimes tribunals legal proceedings or merely victor's revenge dressed up in procedural garb? Why doesn't law which is considered divinely inspired (i.e. the Old and New Testaments) serve as a legitimate basis of law in the West? The aim of this course is to show how understanding the nature and sources of law can help us understand real-world events and issues. By the end of the course students will have an appreciation of the limits of law and how law fits into the fabric of society alongside other norms, such as morality and religion. Students should also learn to identify interconnections and relationships between ideas in seemingly disparate areas of thought.

Media, Culture, and Communication

The course examines the role of advertising not only as an economic force but also as a form of cultural representation with a focus on the social implications of the role of consumerism in contemporary society by following its various forms around the world. Students will read, watch, analyze and discuss a variety of text specific commercials. Attention will be devoted also to the impact of advertising on the post-communist world and to the ways by which cultural issues are framed and kept in mind in the media discourse. The main objective is to provide an introductory course that is meaningful and of practical importance to students. The course examines Advertising not only as an academic discipline, but also a way of perceiving and understanding our society.

This course will examine “social media” from a cultural perspective, with a focus on how media technologies figure in practices of everyday life and in the construction of social relationships and identities. Although many of our readings will deal with Social Network Sites (SNSs), we will attempt to form an expansive definition of what constitutes “social media.” We will also work from an expansive definition of “technology,” considering the term in a cultural sense to include various practices and tools used to communicate in everyday life.

An introduction to the theoretical approaches and practices used to analyze the content, structure, and context of media in society. Students will explore factors shaping modern media texts, including: politics, economics, technology, and cultural traditions. The dominant critical perspectives that contribute to our understanding of media will be read, discussed, and employed. The course has three broad objectives: Develop a critical awareness of media environments, develop a familiarity with concepts, themes and theoretical approaches of media criticism, and the terms associated with these approaches, and develop an ability to adopt and adapt these frameworks in your own analyses of mediated communication. Students' active class participation is vital to this process. Active participation includes listening, building on what others say, asking questions, advancing reasoned arguments, identifying theories that are relevant to the discussion, and working collaboratively with others. Missing class and/or a record of lateness will negatively affect the final grade. An absence will be excused only in case of a medical emergency (or other extraordinary circumstance) which is justified with appropriate documentation.

NOTE: Students majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication (CAS) or Communication Studies (Steinhardt) may take this course in conjunction with JOUR-UA 9298, Media and Society, for credit in the major.

A veritable buzzword, globalization refers to several newly emerged phenomena. To study it means to delve into several areas in which it manifests itself. These are, to name just the three most visible ones, the economy, culture and politics. In any of these dimensions globalization, as it is discussed in the last twenty years, functions through the media. Media does not portray globalization, but it is its important part. A study of globalization is inherently diverse and eclectic. So is this course. Students will read, watch films, analyze and discuss them. In class discussions and short papers they are expected to engage questions, issues, themes and topics connected to globalization, culture and the media. Special attention will be devoted to the impact of globalization on the late communist and post-communist world, and also to the ways by which the globalization issues are framed and discussed in the media discourse. All assigned texts and films are mandatory. Students are required to follow current events in the media (cable TV, newspapers, Internet). Class participation is expected as it is part of the final grade.

The idea of the course is to inform students about European media in general, and about transformation of the Czech media after the Velvet revolution in 1989 in particular. Czech developments will be presented on the background of a wider European perspective in order to make students acquainted with the basic features of European landscape of print and electronic media. Due to the lack of literature and printed sources in English language on the subject, the course will extensively exploit internet sources related to the topics.

Course open to All Music Majors & other students with permission.

The basic concepts of 20th and 21st century musical composition - signal processing, extended notation, human computer interaction, studio as instrument, etc. are taught both theoretically and practically. The course is divided into two coordinated weekly classes, the first focusing on theory / listening activities (Rosenzveig), the second, actual composition in the world of electroacoustic music / sound art (Rataj).

In class one students are introduced to different perspectives and aesthetic paradigms for analyzing electroacoustic composition, including the broader contexts of contemporary art and New Media practices and are required to write two short papers. In the second class students compose their own works - the central output of the class.

Prerequisities: Basic knowledge of any software for digital audio practice (Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Audacity etc.) with software installed on your own laptop.&nbsp;Facilities:A small production studio is available for students (Pro Tools, Logic, Finale, Max/MSP, small mixer, near-field monitors, microphones, portable digital field recorders)

Note: This is not a 'software class'. Tools are secondary to concepts, history, philosophy and compositional methods.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are restricted to Music Majors only. Students may only register for one private lesson per semester. Music majors from visiting schools should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

No prerequisite. Private lessons are restricted to Music Majors only. Students may only register for one private lesson per semester. Music majors from visiting schools should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

No prerequisite. Private lessons are restricted to Music Majors only. Students may only register for one private lesson per semester. Music majors from visiting schools should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

One hour per week. (Includes all string orchestral instruments and guitar, classical and jazz styles).

No prerequisite. Private lessons are restricted to Music Majors only. Students may only register for one private lesson per semester. Music majors from visiting schools should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

One hour per week. (Includes traditional, music theatre, film scoring and jazz).

No prerequisite. Private lessons are restricted to Music Majors only. Students may only register for one private lesson per semester. Music majors from visiting schools should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

One hour per week. (Includes all woodwind, brass and percussion instruments, classical and jazz styles).

No prerequisite. Private lessons are restricted to Music Majors only. Students may only register for one private lesson per semester. Music majors from visiting schools should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

One hour per week. (Includes classical, music theatre and jazz styles).

Ensembles

Open to Music majors and other students by placement audition. Non-Steinhardt music majors should email marta.fleischhansova@nyu.edu to request permission to enroll.

Photography

Politics

This course is an introduction to the modern politics and government of Central and Eastern Europe from the beginning of the Twentieth Century to the present. We will examine several periods, including 1). The interwar period and the development of the first modern political systems; 2) World War II, German occupation and resistance, and official and unofficial political systems; 3). Sovietization and the adoption of non-democratic political system; 4). The Communist Era in Eastern & Central Europe; 5). Democratic transitions; 6) and the processes of democratic consolidation. The course uses a comparative approach, using a few basic theories of political science to analyze the Central & Eastern European case. Topics include types of political regimes, creation and breakdown of democratic systems, constitutions and state systems, political parties, elections etc.

The course "Central Europe, EU and NATO" provides students with an overview of the history, institutional and political structures, and major current debates in the European integration process, including its Atlantic dimension. In particular, the course concentrates on the trends triggered by EU enlargements in 2004 and 2007, the security situation after 9/11 and the impact of globalization on EU economic and social governance.

This course explores the recent history and the current state of political, economic and cultural relations between the United States and Europe. Ever since the end of the World War II, the cooperative relationship between these two parts of the world, often described as "The West", has been a bedrock of international stability, security and prosperity. After the end of the Cold War, this relationship has undergone changes, along with the whole system of international relations. Recently, on both sides of the Atlantic, the talk has been about a crisis of the Euro-American relationship. We will examine the validity of these claims, the causes of the current disagreements and possible ways of overcoming them. Throughout, we will emphasize the overwhelming nature of common values and interests on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the risks stemming from a potential rift for both Europe and America. We will examine the compatibility of current European and U.S. policies with respect to third countries or regions, such as Russia, the Middle East, China, and other parts of the Globe. We will also analyze the specific role played in this relationship by countries of Central and Eastern Europe as relative newcomers to democracy, to the Atlantic Alliance and to European Union.

This course tells the story of the region in the geographical trap between Germany and Russia. The establishment of Czechoslovakia, the post-WW II expulsion of the German minority, Stalinism, the Prague Spring of 1968, dissident movements, the Velvet Revolution of 1989, transition to democracy, Václav Havel and the post-Havel era will all be studied. Students will gain basic knowledge on Central European political, historical and economic issues. Critical reading of sources and independent thinking required.

This course will focus on the history of the culturally rich region of "Mitteleuropa" through analysis of the parallel evolution of Germany and the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Mitteleuropa as a region produced such important figures as Franz Kafka, Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, Theodor Herzl and Milan Kundera; historical personalities whose influence internationally is indisputable. We'll delve into the history of the region and on the central role played by German politics and culture from the end of the 19th century, through the turbulent 20th century to the present day.

Emphasis will be on the evolution of the concept of nationalism as well as on Germany's foreign policy in the "concert of nations", especially towards its Eastern neighbors. The aim is to achieve an understanding of the complex evolution of national entities and their interaction between the birth of the modern German state and the integration of the Visegrád countries in NATO and the European Union.

This course will concentrate on the analysis of the pursuits of democracy in Western Europe. Firstly, the conception of Europe will be explored in its historical perspective and different perceptions: territorial, political, spiritual, cultural etc. Secondly, the characterizing social cleavages of Europe will be introduced: territorial, economic, religious, national, ethnic etc. Furthermore, we will discuss how these cleavages get expressed in the formation of different social interests and lead to the organization of interests groups, political parties and NGOs. Thirdly, turning towards the institutional structures of West European parliamentary democracies, we will address the existence of political party systems, as well as the executive and legislative powers represented by government and parliament. Fourthly, we will explore the rules and outcomes of different electoral systems, which ensure regular rotation of political elites at power – however, under different principles. Finally, we will assess the enrichment of the classical models of government in Western Europe, which have in the last 20 years been supplemented by additional players participating in the decision making processes on different levels (local, regional, national and European) – leading to new political conceptualization of ‘governance’. Also, while European states remain core units of European integration, they are also influenced by the EU, leading to their Europeanization. The new challenges facing Western Europe, such as globalization, continuing European integration, regionalization, restructuring of social welfare systems and the issues of identity, will be discussed.

Religious Studies

Religion is without doubt one of the most important elements that shaped the history and contemporary face of Central Europe. Religion played an important role in the political and cultural development of this part of the world. The history of the mutual interaction between religion and politics is evident in the cultural richness of this part of the world, particularly in Bohemia and Prague.

This course explores various religious phenomena that formed political ideas and cultural values of this region indifferent historical periods. We examine particularly those religious characteristics and figures that remarkably influenced the world's history and enriched human thinking. First, we study the Christianization of Central European society and the prominent role of religion in the political and cultural transformation of the medieval period. Then we follow the religious reformation process and development of the relationship between Judeo-Christian tradition and the secular world in the early modern period. Finally, we explore the policies of communist regimes in the spheres of religion and culture and study the struggle of Christian churches against communist totalitarianism. The transformation of Catholicism in the 1960s is also examined together with the role of religion in post-communist society.

Excursions to significant historical and religious sights are an important part of the course.

Russian and Slavic Studies

The idea of the course is not to bring a full and detailed picture of the whole of modern and contemporary Central and East European literature into perspective, but rather to take advantage of the unique occasion to offer students a more focused view. Examining Czech literary history as a specific example of the European history of national, cultural and political emancipation plans to guide "newcomers" along the most important cultural streams influencing the face of Czech literature in the 19th and 20th centuries. The larger cultural context includes the political role of art and literature in Czech history, language, religion, social and national currents and crosscurrents, as well as its Central and East European dimension.

Sociology

This course examines the totalitarian oppression from the point of view of ordinary citizens in communist Czechoslovakia. It focuses on the construction of collective mentality through everyday official/public and unofficial/private activities, including mass parades, ceremonies and performances, work relations, children’s education, housing schemes or collective vacationing. The goal of the seminar is to demonstrate the consequences of life in an oppressive regime: suppression of fundamental forms of civic interaction, such as independent public communication, and distortion of moral and behavioral norms. At the end of the semester, students will be able to evaluate the main theoretical concepts and historical events of totalitarianism against the background of specific activities, problems and aspirations of the people directly affected by life in a totalitarian system, the citizens of communist Czechoslovakia.

This course explores the development of the rule of law and human rights issues in post-communist Central Europe. We will also refer to transitional systems outside the post-communist region. Although dealing with Central European region, we will often talk about American situation as well. First, we will face a short introduction into the history of the Central European region and its culture of human rights, and try to delineate this region. Next, we will examine the historical, national and international context of making constitutionalism and the rule of law in Central Europe. We will try to understand what human rights actually mean. We will face the debates that occurred when emerging democracies dealt with the former communist regimes. On several case studies, we will explain several basic attitudes towards the former communist regimes, its apparatchiks, its agents, and collaborators (lustration laws and dealing with the communist crimes). We will compare these approaches with those found elsewhere (South Africa, Latin America). Furthermore, we will examine contemporary human rights debates surrounding abortion, freedom of speech, social rights, the relation between religion and the state, the discrimination against minorities, gay rights, gender discrimination, affirmative action etc. We will also analyze the Western legal transplants in Central Europe and the post-communist application of basic rights. Finally, we will deal with the European Union and the legal dimension of the European Enlargement of 2004.